It's a baby!

[reggiey56]

By "wrong" I just meant that you can't try opposite suggestions on the same leaf at the same time - so no matter which way you decide to go, it's wrong with regards to the other expert's advice. I should have stuck a smiley at the end of that sentence. But that said, I think the dead and shriveled leaf I have pretty much proves that there really is a "wrong" way. :-D

[Sparkles]

The odd thing is....that leaf might be dead and shriveled if you did it the other way!

For what it's worth....

Few things are 100 percent. There are certain underlying needs for plants, such as you need good roots, you need water, you need a certain degree of humidity, etc. So, in my house, I may meet those needs in one way, you in your house do it yet another.

What I think we need are to know the needs and any rules that help us meet those needs. Then, in our environment, we can apply them.

Most people, my guess is, say "Do it this way" and what they're really saying is, "I meet my plants needs when I do this." The main issue is that this person may be attributing something to their success that didn't really help or misunderstand why something happened. Because we're mostly hobby growers, there isn't as much application of scientific principles to what we do. If we did that more, we'd probably have more agreement. There are so many things we can do and get OK results; I want to know why we get them and what helps me get the best results. I read as many scientific studies and books as I can to help me figure things out.

I think it's very hard for newbies growing AVs if they want direction. For other plants, there aren't nearly as many discrepancies between advice. I used to design and make stained glass; when I first started, I found the same thing. A lot of self taught people with polar opposite ways of doing things. It was extremely hard to know if what I was doing would really last the test of time. At least with AVs I know quickly! I just hope that the first large windows I installed in someone's McMansion don't collapse on them in the next ten years...

[Sparkles]

I don't necessarily think there's a "wrong" way ... as long as you stick to the basics and find what works best for you. I think it's all about the conditions YOU are growing your plants and leaves in. Humidity, Light, how often you water, etc ...

I'm going out on a limb here...I think there are ways that hurt you plant a lot, ways that hurt your plant only a bit, and ways that help your plant a lot, or help it only a bit. The best growers figure out how to so mostly things that help the plant a lot, so if they do a few that hurt a bit, it really doesn't matter much.

I think maybe it's a tweak of what you said, Abigail. There are clearly wrong things to do - overwatering, soil that is compacted, and much more. Among the right things to do there are multiple ways to achieve the same thing. We want to find the way we can achieve the positive things in our environment.

[abigail1280]

My first experience with leaves, I gave some to a friend in mid may. I did some reading online, and saw that you could do them in dirt or water. We chose to set hers up in dirt, and one just started to sprout last week. We did plastic cups with AV mix only, and I think she's probably over watered them.

Then about a week later I gave 4 more leaves to another friend. This friend is in her 70s and has grown many AVs from leaves. She never knew about all the different techniques out there. She swears by the water method. Put the tin foil over the cup, poke a hole in it and prop your leaf up. She lost 2 of her leaves, while my other friend didn't lose any, so she ended up transferring the 2 remaining leaves over to dirt. Those leaves are quite well rooted .. no give at all if you tug at them .. but no sprouts either.

Beginning of June, I decided I wanted in on the fun, and I order my first leaves and planted them in cups with AV mix and put baggies on them. All of them have sprouted.

Beginning of July, my older friend and I placed an order together. She ended up losing a leaf in dirt, so she decided to go back to her water method. Of the leaves we got, mine are all rooted, and none of hers had roots last time I asked. I used the same method I did the first time, just switched up the soil mixture to a 1:1:1 so that it wouldn't feel as soggy.

My 3rd batch, I'm actually trying out in a seed tray. Smaller space to grow roots in and I may not end up with as many plants, but if they root faster and sprout faster, I'll be happy. I'm also growing these in a dome instead of the baggies.

Am I saying my way is the best? Not by a long shot. I think it's just pure dumb luck! But am I happy with the results? Heck yeah! I have 14 leaves in there with baby plants that just need to grow a little faster!

[reggiey56]

Nice! My first leaf was over 30 years ago. I'd read in a magazine to lay a leaf on the soil and push hairpins through it. The agony of that defeat was enough that I'm only now trying again. I set 10 leaves; 9 are still alive, 2 have babies. I planted 2 leaves of the same variety - one sprouted one hasn't. I'm counting on dumb luck - I planted 10 in hopes that I'd get at least one out of the deal.

[abigail1280]

I had that happen. 2 of the same leaves, 1 was my first to sprout out of the 14 and the other was the last! Allegro Appalachian Trail. But then my 2 Irish Flirt leaves were the 3rd and 4th to bloom.

[julie bee's]

Today i planted 18 leaves and i am going to try to enter a few in next summers contest so i am hopeful i can get some beauties by then. I agree with most people do what works for you, but i have always water rooted my leaves but because these are going to show (if they make it ) i have to root them in pots.

****OH I WANTED TO ADD I HAVE READ EVERY BOOK AND LOOK UP EVERYTHING ON THE NET RESURCHING, WITH ALL I DONE TODAY AND IF THEY ALL ARE CORRECT IN THE INFORMATION I SHOULD SEE SOME RESULTS IN A FEW WEEKS.

[Angela123]

Congrats reggiey56 on your new plants!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the past couple of years ,I've learned that I like 50% vermiculite and 50% perlite for growing African violet leaves from cuttings.I tried to grow them in other mediums like in some of the older African Violet books but, the leaf died and no plantlets. Although, this is just the way I find works better for me.